I don't believe that one can say that an attacker is "off balance" by virtue of his attack. A competent attacker can be quite balanced, in fact a good attack requires being balanced and centered.

It is, however, impossible to attack another without creating a suki or "opening". Using the principle of "irimi" we use that opening to occupy the space which the attacker wishes occupy in order to complete his attack.The action of the irimi will serve to cause the attacker to disrupt his balance.

In other words, you must take the attacker's balance. If he is competent he will not just give it to you. There is nothing inherently "off-balance" about an attack, no matter how erroneous the thinking may be behind the violent action.

ya sure, i agree. but there is an inherent inbalance in the musubi with natutal principle when one has the mind to attack. you could probably trace this chemically. I happen to perceive it and feel it with my eyes. I simply do. I can read imbalance with a remarkable degree of perception. like reading a book.I can even 'hear the story' .
Boxers entering into a ring are off balance, in a particular sense, but they are both in agreement about their sport, so the playing ground equals again. The imbalance occurs in the psyche or the body or the strategy and then one of them succumbs to the other.
fight over.
I'm a fan of boxing . I'm a fan of sports. I'm a fan of imbalancing games. I'm a fan of natural principles. together my observations have culminated in this process for viewing and understanding balance (or the lack there of) and in my experience and application and spiritual training this observation and process has remained steady and true. It is an experience that many other people have not yet experienced or articulated and that can make translation arduos.
O'Sensei said that to have the mind to attack one is already defeated. To have the mind to attack is to be outside of universal accord. My experiences tend to back this up. That's all.